Friday, December 30, 2005

Happy New Year 2006!

New Year´s Eve in Reykjavík - The photo is borrowed from the site of Stelpa
but this is in fact almost exactly the view from mys sisters apartment,
where we are going to spend the evening.


Many thanks for stopping by and reading my blog in 2005.

Scenes from last years New Year´s Eve celebrations in Reykjavík.
Photo on the left by Torfi Frans Ólafsson

Monday, December 26, 2005

Gerður Helgadóttir 1928-1975


Gerður Helgadóttir (1928-1975)

A television documenty film about one of our best artists:
Horfa í sérglugga Líf fyrir listina eina

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

for everyone that views this,
from Millan.net and me.
...and I´ve decided that you simply
MUST see this fabulous Santa Dance too!
Christmas Is LOVE!

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Nisse


As I have already given links to blogs with stuff about the Icelandic yulelads, I now want to give a link to the Danish Christmas NISSE, from Denmark, the country of my grandmother on my father´s side. And here is some information about Danish yuletide traditions, some of whom have been adopted by the Icelanders, with Iceland being a former Danish colony, or until 1918, and a part of the Danish Kingdom, having selfrule in certain matters but with a shared monarch, until 1944.

Almost too good to be true...

...have a look at this site:
Millan.net

Monday, December 19, 2005

Just for fun.....


This is the girl the Icelandic Bachelor chose, with her daughter.
She is a single mom from a previous relationship. Even though always seeming a little withdrawn and shy, she very obivously had a big crush on the bachelor from very early on in the series. After the series she told that she had not expected to fall in love participating, but she also told that she held herself back on purpose in the girls competition over the bachelor, because she had sensed very early that it was her he was really interested in. Even so, she was not very good at hiding her jealousy! But, as the bachelor himself admitted: "I could not very well go ahead and choose one girl right from the early start, because then there would obviously have been no series... :) (Yeah, Monika, I think too he also had a lot of fun fingering all those other girls!)
A lovely girl and I hope they will be happy and manage to build a good relationship in peace, even though they have the eyes of our whole little nation on them !

Saturday, December 17, 2005


Monika also blogs about
the Icelandic "jólasveinar"
like Móa of "Leikur og list".


<- This is Pottaskefill aka Pottasleikir/ Pot-scraper


Wednesday, December 14, 2005


I saw this guy today

in Laugarásbíó in Reykjavík.

Monday, December 12, 2005

The yulelads


If you want to learn more about the Icelandic yulelads or "jólasveinar" you will be able to read about them in Móa´s blog, "Leikur og list". She is a USA citizen of Icelandic origin and writes in English. She is an artist and has made the most cute figurines of the lads and is showing them on her blog day by day until Christmas, telling about them and their habits along the way. I have taken the liberty of posting her picture of the first one, "Stiff-legs" here on my blog.

Sunday, December 11, 2005

I must say I was a bit surprised by this result! : )

Dragon
You are a Dragon!

Dragons are fabulous monsters, represented usually
as a gigantic reptile breathing fire and having
a lion's claws, the tail of a serpent, wings
and scaly skin. There are many different types
of dragons, some good and some evil. Dragons
are aggressive and determined, going after what
they want.

Which Fantasy Creature Are You? + Pics
brought to you by Quizilla

Saturday, December 10, 2005

Guess what...

Just crowned in China: Miss Iceland - Unnur Birna Vilhjálmsdóttir
- Miss World 2005 -
Congratulations, Unnur Birna !


Wikipedia has an article on Unnur Birna.

Delegates from Iceland have twice before won the Miss World title:

1985 Hólmfríður Karlsdóttir
Hófí was, and still is, a kindergarten teacher when she received her title. She has been working in the same place as she was when she became Miss World for the past 20 years, a happily married mother.


1988 Linda Pétursdóttir
Linda led a turmoilous life after being Miss World. She had problems with addiction, which she has now overcome. With other members of her family she owns and runs a ladies only health spa, the Baðhúsið. She very recently became a single mom, of her own choice, and lives life today very happily with her baby.

Baðhúsið

Baðhúsið is a unique health spa. It was founded by former Miss World, Linda Pétursdóttur, and is strictly for women. It is a place where women can relax and just enjoy themselves, far from any testosterone. Emphasis is placed on treatments, fitness, and relaxation. There are also various special services, for example beauty treatments. Baðhúsið is popular among Icelandic women, and an ideal opportunity for women visiting Iceland to talk with the women of Reykjavík.
www.badhusid.is


In 1963 Guðrún Bjarnadóttir (second from the left in photo) was chosen Miss Universe International on Long Beach, USA. After winning her title she had a successful career working internatianally as a much sought after model and has lived in France for many years.

And in 1970 Henný Hermannsdóttir, a young dance teacher from Iceland, won the title Miss Young International in Japan. She taught at her father´s dance school for many years.

Not bad for a nation with a population of a little less than 300.000, n´est-ce pas?

Friday, December 09, 2005

New Life Magazine´s Woman of the Year 2005

Rembember Thelma Ásdísardóttir, the woman I told you about previously on my blog?


Now she has been honored with the title "Woman of the Year" by "Nýtt líf" (New Life), an Icelandic monthly magazine, for her courage to come out in the open with her story of how she and her sisters were abused by their father their entire childhood. In this photo she is seen with former president of Iceland, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir and Gulllveig Sæmundsdóttir, editor of Nýtt líf, after receiving her prize on 11/30/2005

Thelma has also been chosen "Ljósberi" (Light Bearer) of the year 2005, here is the newsarticle (in Icelandic, sorry) in one of Icelands two largest newspapers, the "Morgunblaðið" (The Morning Paper).

Thelma´s life is really busy these days, she is giving talks in various societies all over the country, including at a meeting arranged by the towncouncil of Hafnarfjörður, her hometown, where she grew up and which was the scene of her misery. She says in a short interview with "Séð og heyrt" (Seen and Heard), Icelands main tabloidmagazine, that her life has taken an U-turn, but that the most inportant thing that has come from the publishing of her book is the positive reception that it has met, going beoynd her wildest dreams, and the great effect it is having in opening up a debate about childabuse and encouraging other victims to come forward.

And Thelma is a great humourist: Talking about her feelings at the presentation of her prize as Woman of the Year, she told the journalist that she had been quite overwhelmed with feelings, but that she managed to maintain her calm and hold back her tears, in order to be able to make her speech of thanks, by thinking about her forthcoming VISA-bill!

Congratulations, Thelma, you are a real hero!

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

I just found this list of sites about the way we celebrate Christmas in Iceland:
Many thanks to Carolyn of blog "December in Akureyri"! :-)

Dog Humour


If you have a very clever dog, better keep a close watch on it, now that Christmas is coming!

We went to see Lord of War tonight.
Man, was it good! It´s called an international thriller on the moviesite, but in fact I rather think it should be called a Real Life Horror film. Nicolas Cage, one of my favourite actors, at his very best and that means very, very good acting! Ethan Hawk and Jared Leto are also very good.